EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Patrik Elias will explore the free agency market if the Devils fail to come up with a contract that makes the talented high-scoring left wing want to stay in New Jersey.

"If it's right, I want to stay, obviously," Elias said Tuesday after the Devils gathered one final time this season for a team picture. "It's just that I am in a situation where I can take advantage of it.

"But we'll see," said the 30-year-old who led New Jersey with 16 points in a playoff run that ended on Sunday with a loss to Carolina in the Eastern Conference semifinals. "That doesn't mean I am going to take advantage of it or use it to my advantage. This organization gave me a lot of positive things in my life."

Before negotiations can start, Elias has to hire an agent. He has talked with former and current teammates about agents and narrowed the choice two or three people.

Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello plans to do everything possible to sign Elias, who will became a free agent on July 1.

"We are a believer in our own homebred players," Lamoriello said. "They come together. That was a key factor in us overcoming adversity this year, having players who have had success together."

Elias earned $4.1 million last season, a year in which he missed the first three months because of hepatitis.

His return in January sparked a nine-game winning streak that got New Jersey back into playoff contention and an 11-game run at the end of the season that led the Devils to the Atlantic Division title.

Elias boosted his value in the playoffs with six goals and 10 assists in nine postseason games.

"This is a good chance for me to see what my number is, what I am worth and who the other teams who might be interested are," Elias said.

Goaltender Martin Brodeur said Elias, who had 16 goals and 29 assists in 38 regular-season games, is the Devils best offensive player.

"We hope he will stay, but you can't prevent other teams to go after him," Brodeur said. "We saw what happened with 'Nieder' here last year. It could happen again."

The Devils lost Scott Niedermayer, one of the NHL's best defensemen, to Anaheim on the free agent market. Lamoriello offered Niedermayer almost the maximum under the salary cap, but he headed west to play with his brother Rob.

Elias doesn't have a brother in the NHL. But he wants money and a chance to win.

"You don't want to be with a team that is going to go through rough times in a season," Elias said. "You don't really enjoy your work. The main thing is you want to be happy in what you do."

Elias has no timetable for reaching a new agreement.

"As long as it takes for me to be happy with what the decision will be," he said.

Lamoriello said the Devils are also interested in keeping right wing Jamie Langenbrunner, who is also a free agent. He has been with the Devils the past 3 1/2 seasons.

Lamoriello refused to discuss his plans to hire a new coach. He finished the season with a 32-18 mark after replacing Larry Robinson in December.

Brodeur had some advice about the type of coach the Devils need.

"We need a guy who keeps everyone accountable," Brodeur said. "You look around the league and the coaches that are having success are the ones who have a good grip on their team. We tried with a nice guy and it didn't work too good.

"Larry tried to be tough on us and that didn't work out," Brodeur said. "When Lou came in, that's as tough as we are going to get, I think. It's important to have a guy who has a presence."

I agree with Don.....I don't see how this article is negative...plain and simple if the Devils, well...if Lou is willing to give Elias a fair deal...which he has more than earned...then he'll stay...we knew that from the get go...from every player...you can't expect one of the top forwards in the game and certainly the top forward in the free agent market this year to say..."I'm willing to stay here no matter what...they want to give me five bucks and a bag of pucks then I'm ok with that.".....I mean seriously...If Lou is smart he'll just give him the money he deserves (not exactly meaning the money someone else is willing to give him) and he will be with the Devils next year...period...if Elias doesn't sign it will be because of Lou and nothing else....

"This is a good chance for me to see what my number is, what I am worth and who the other teams who might be interested are," Elias said.

That doesn't sound positive....

He's been with the organization his whole career...to be curious about what you are actually worth because of the job you do isn't negative at all....plain and simple Lou was willing to offer Nieds max money topping at 7 mil a year...I'm not saying Elias is worth that much because I don't think Nieds is either but Elias' figures should be up there...not only because of his skill but because of what he means to the team....again, if Lou doesn't lowball him and treats him fair (which he seems to do with a select few Devils) then Elias will be a Devil next year...

Elias will stay if the Devils offer him the cash. Lou will not low-ball him. He didn't with Niedermayer, no reason to think he will with Elias, who is probably more important to this team than Nieds was.

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Enjoy your dream world. It's on schedule to come crashing down on or about November 1.

"You don't want to be with a team that is going to go through rough times in a season," Elias said. "You don't really enjoy your work. The main thing is you want to be happy in what you do."

this quote didn't make me happy. unless he's talking about detroit, i don't know what team doesn't have a rough patch during the season. was he unhappy when the devils had their slide in the middle of his return?

i really cannot get any read on elias other than to say he will ABSOLUTELY not sign before he gets a chance to play the market. I cannot imagine that he would stay here for less, so the devils will have to match what toronto and the rangers will offer. i'm not so worried about him taking a huge contract from a st. louis or chicago, though.

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“They’re the ones that makes it happen,” Lemaire said. “It’s not us. It’s not me. It’s not the other guy. It’s not the guy before. It’s not the guy after. It’s them. And they have to take care of business.”
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"I guess I just miss my friend" (#28)

I understand the cap situation isn't exactly the same as it was last year, but we have plenty of room to give raises to guys and sign Patrik, considering the cap will most definitely rise to $43 Million.

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Enjoy your dream world. It's on schedule to come crashing down on or about November 1.

this quote didn't make me happy. unless he's talking about detroit, i don't know what team doesn't have a rough patch during the season. was he unhappy when the devils had their slide in the middle of his return?

i really cannot get any read on elias other than to say he will ABSOLUTELY not sign before he gets a chance to play the market. I cannot imagine that he would stay here for less, so the devils will have to match what toronto and the rangers will offer. i'm not so worried about him taking a huge contract from a st. louis or chicago, though.

I don't think that quote was targeted towards the Devils but rather other teams that offer the money but aren't winning teams....however, I could see him being a bit bothered by being put on the second line....I think during the down part of his return he should have been the one on the line with Gomer and not Gio but who knows...I really believe that if Lou offers him the right amount of money (which as I said before doesn't have to be as high as other teams) then he will sign before July....

there is no bigger fan of elias than me and my heart says give him the $7 because it's worth going from a langenbrunner to a tallackson to keep elias, but neidermayer is a once in decade kind of player. when it comes to defense for the last 10 years (and probably the next 3-5) you have neidermayer, lidstrom and everyone else about 2 notches below (and that includes chara, redden, zubov, and pronger).

i would assert that next to Jagr and Brodeur (usually), there is no more important player in the league than neidermayer. he does everything so well and controls a game by himself. it is rare that ANY one player can do this. neidermayer was worth being paid the most anyone in the league was paid.

i LOVE elias, and i've been on record (and quoted thanks to Triumph) that he's a top 5 forward in this league. but he is NOT neidermayer.

I could see him being a bit bothered by being put on the second line...

that doesn't worry me at all. if anything, it was a compliment to elias because it said that he could carry a line by himself while gomez and gionta could not (which is true). besides, if (as i believe he does) elias fancies himself as the leader of this team, he wouldn't be concerned about where he was playing provided it was obvious that he was helping the team.

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“They’re the ones that makes it happen,” Lemaire said. “It’s not us. It’s not me. It’s not the other guy. It’s not the guy before. It’s not the guy after. It’s them. And they have to take care of business.”
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"I guess I just miss my friend" (#28)

i would assert that next to Jagr and Brodeur (usually), there is no more important player in the league than neidermayer. he does everything so well and controls a game by himself. it is rare that ANY one player can do this. neidermayer was worth being paid the most anyone in the league was paid.

I don't agree. Nieds is terrific, but he didn't elevate this team in 03-04 the way Elias did this year. Elias is worth more, imo, than Niedermayer. Elias is arguably (not even arguably, imo) the best LW in the game. He is fantastic in every single facet of the game, and is a terrific leader. I would give Elias whatever it takes to keep him.

Brodeur makes $5.2 Million.

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Enjoy your dream world. It's on schedule to come crashing down on or about November 1.

This is the quote that really calms my nerves. Elias wants to stay. Lou will not be stubborn and will offer a generous contract to keep Patrik.

Are you seeing how he's elevating the team that ended up giving him the 7 mill?

Um, what does his performance on the Ducks have to do with anything? We are talking about when Lou offered Niedermayer the max last summer - he had never played a game in an Anaheim jersey in August 2005.

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Enjoy your dream world. It's on schedule to come crashing down on or about November 1.

I don't agree. Nieds is terrific, but he didn't elevate this team in 03-04 the way Elias did this year. Elias is worth more, imo, than Niedermayer. Elias is arguably (not even arguably, imo) the best LW in the game. He is fantastic in every single facet of the game, and is a terrific leader. I would give Elias whatever it takes to keep him.

Brodeur makes $5.2 Million.

as stated, i agree that patrik is the best LW in the game and a top 5 forward, but i can't be convinced that, in a vaccum, he's worth more than neidermayer. the ducks are in the WCF more because of neidermayer than because of bryzgalov.

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“They’re the ones that makes it happen,” Lemaire said. “It’s not us. It’s not me. It’s not the other guy. It’s not the guy before. It’s not the guy after. It’s them. And they have to take care of business.”
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"I guess I just miss my friend" (#28)

i LOVE elias, and i've been on record (and quoted thanks to Triumph) that he's a top 5 forward in this league. but he is NOT neidermayer.that doesn't worry me at all. if anything, it was a compliment to elias because it said that he could carry a line by himself while gomez and gionta could not (which is true). besides, if (as i believe he does) elias fancies himself as the leader of this team, he wouldn't be concerned about where he was playing provided it was obvious that he was helping the team.

True....I didn't think of it that way and you are probably right...

but about Nieds...don't get me wrong he is everything you said and more without a doubt but I just don't think he was what Elias is to the Devils.....I mean its a lot like comparing apples to oranges as far as Elias being offense and Nieds defense but I think Elias brings a lot of what Nieds didn't....even though we lost in the second round this year Elias went out there and looked, really looked like he was trying to carry this team...lead this team to a win....I didn't see that with Nieds when Steven went down....case in point was the heart he showed in game 2 (i think 2) when Elias scored to tie it...we didn't just see his standard arms raise celebration we usually get..he had the fists pumping and everything....we knew that was a big goal at a big time in the game....again...in the almost half a season that Nieds had to lead this team he didn't show it at all to me...and that's not a knock on him because skill-wise, again, he is everything you said and more....I just think it basically comes down to Elias means more to this team than Nieds did....I mean we got by on defense even after Lou's mistakes with McUseless and Mala*cough* and I think we will be in an even better position next year on defense but I don't think we would get by as easily without Elias (as we saw from our record when he was and wasn't playing for us) I just hope we don't have to see Elias depart to understand what he truly means to this team!!!

as stated, i agree that patrik is the best LW in the game and a top 5 forward, but i can't be convinced that, in a vaccum, he's worth more than neidermayer. the ducks are in the WCF more because of neidermayer than because of bryzgalov.

Once again, if we are discussing the reasons Lou offered Nieds what he did, what does the 2006 Playoffs have to do with anything? The fact is that Lou offered Niedermayer the max contract when he had never elevated the Devils. Elias did so on a team which was pretty equal personnel wise.

Edited by Voros19, 16 May 2006 - 09:32 PM.

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Enjoy your dream world. It's on schedule to come crashing down on or about November 1.

as a related side note, this might have all been moot as earlier today, my wife nearly hit patty with her car when she was leaving fresh city in livingston while he was walking to his car on his cell phone. she says he wasn't paying attention, but she is after all a woman driver!

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“They’re the ones that makes it happen,” Lemaire said. “It’s not us. It’s not me. It’s not the other guy. It’s not the guy before. It’s not the guy after. It’s them. And they have to take care of business.”
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"I guess I just miss my friend" (#28)

as a related side note, this might have all been moot as earlier today, my wife nearly hit patty with her car when she was leaving fresh city in livingston while he was walking to his car on his cell phone. she says he wasn't paying attention, but she is after all a woman driver!

Isn't that twice now that someone on this board (or close enough) has almost hit Patty with their car??

I think we should just get a "please stay in Jersey" petition going...I don't think there is one Devils fan out there that doesn't want Elias to stay (if there is they should be shot in the face...........too harsh? then punched in the throat..... )